Combined boat cushion and life preserver



Nov. 26, 1957 B. FARBER COMBINED BOATCUSHION AND LIFE PRESERVER Filed March 23, 1955 United COMBINED BOAT CUSHION AND LIFE PRESERVER This invention relates to a combined cushion and life preserver, being a development of the conventional buoyant kapok stuffed cushion having handles at oppo site sides.

Such cushions are generally employed for sitting comfort in small craft such as rowboats, canoes and motor boats, which ply near shore, and are not generally acceptable legally, or by life saving authorities, for use as life preservers in larger vessels which may be expected to venture into offshore waters in which, when rough, a cushion type life preserver would be wholly inadequate.

One of the chief shortcomings of the customary cushion type life preserver is that in Waters which are only moderately choppy, although it may have ample buoyancy to keep the head of the overboard person above water, it does not prevent small waves from repeatedly dashing in his face, strangling him, and in many instances drowning him.

The object of the present invention is to provide a buoyant seat-shaped cushion which gives added cornfort and support as a cushion, upon the seat of the boat or the bottom of the canoe, for example, and having side straps through which the person may thrust his arms when overboard, enabling him to hold the cushion close against his front at breast or chin level, the elevated sides and back of the cushion forming a guard against which the waves break or splash, the depressed seat portion forming a slick or quiescent area in front of the face of the wearer, preventing him from being choked.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the following specification, and throughout the several figures of which the same reference numerals have been employed to denote identical parts:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cushion embodying the principles of my invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front to back section, taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the cushion 1 is seat-like in shape, having an outside bottom panel 2, substantially fiat when weighted by a sitter, a smaller and substantially flat seat panel 3, and an upstanding boxing 4 about the periphery of the cushion, Which panel is low at the front and higher at the sides and back, as shown. The upper edge of the boxing 4 at the sides and back, is joined to corresponding edges of the seat panel by the inwardly and downwardly sloping arcuate tates Patent panel 5, made up of back and side panel sections 6, 7 and 8. The several panels referred to are made of flexible waterproof material, such as leatherette, vinyl coated fabric, etc., and they are stitched together in Watertight manner. The loop straps 9 may be of the same material as the panels, and are securely incorporated in the seam between the bottom panel and boxing. The straps serve as means for hanging up the cushion, and as arm straps for one in the water. The cushion is firmly stuffed with kapok or similar inherently buoyant material 10. The sloping contour of the sides and back aifords comfortable support for the sitter, and adapts the cushion to fit various sized sitters. The front of the cushion is arcuately indented, as indicated at 11, so that it can be fitted close to the body of one in the water, and will not readily become dislodged by impact of the waves.

The person using the cushion for self preservation in the water thrusts his arms through the straps 9, and places his hands against the back of the cushion, holding it firmly against himself, resting his chin upon the front part of the seat panel if he desires. The elevated sides and back of the cushion serve as a breakwater for the waves, the inner or depressed area of the cushion, which doubtless will ship some water, serving as a slick in front of the face of the wearer, permitting him to breath without inhaling water.

While I have in the above description described what I believe to be a practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the specific details of construction and the materials specified are by way of example and not to be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

Combined boat cushion and life preserver comprising a casing of flexible waterproof material including a base panel, a boxing stitched to its lower edge about the periphery of said base panel and extending substantially perpendicular thereto, said boxing being higher at the rear of said cushion than at the front and the sides of said boxing progressively increasing in height from front to back, a seat panel having its front edge stitched to the upper edge of the front of said boxing, said seat panel being parallel to said base panel and having its sides and back inset from corresponding parts of said boxing, an inwardly and downwardly convergent panel having its inner edge stitched to the sides and back of said seat panel and its outer edge stitched to the upper edge of the sides and rear of said boxing, and arm loops at opposite sides of said casing having their ends stitched in the seam that unites said base panel and said boxing, stufiing of buoyant material filling said casing sufliciently compacted to make said cushion self shape-sustaining, the front of said cushion being shaped with a re-entrant arcuate contour to fit the front of the body of a person in the water using the cushion as a life preserver.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,785 Brown Jan. 2, 1934 2,195,817 Johnson Apr. 2, 1940 2,199,479 Cappel May 7, 1940 2,405,484 Bailhe Aug. 6, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,306 Great Britain of 1895 

